MONITORING FOR RADIO FREQUENCY ENABLED ITEMS BASED ON ACTIVITY PROFILES

• US 20080157966A1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schuler, Francesca, Jonnalagadda, Krishna D., Danvir, Janice M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,834,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/225 Display details

Abstract

A method, wireless communication device, and radio frequency ID reader are provided for monitoring radio-frequency identification enabled items. The method includes receiving a set of radio frequency IDs (1104) representing a set of radio frequency ID enabled items (110) to be monitored. An identifier representing a user activity and its relationship with at least one radio frequency ID in the set of radio frequency IDs and at least one radio frequency ID reader is received (1106). The method also includes determining if at least one condition associated with the user activity has occurred indicating that the user activity is occurring (1108). The set of radio frequency IDs representing a set of radio frequency ID enabled items (110) to be monitored by the at least one radio frequency ID reader are monitored (1110) in response to the determining that the at least one condition is occurring.

Claims

1. A method, with an electronic device, for monitoring radio-frequency identification enabled items, the method comprising:

receiving a set of radio frequency IDs representing a set of radio frequency ID enabled items to be monitored;

receiving an identifier representing a user activity and its relationship with at least one radio frequency ID in the set of radio frequency IDs and at least one radio frequency ID reader;

determining if at least one condition associated with the user activity has occurred indicating that the user activity is occurring; and

monitoring, in response to the determining that the at least one condition is occurring, for the set of radio frequency IDs representing a set of radio frequency ID enabled items to be monitored by the at least one radio frequency ID reader.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, in response to the monitoring, if a presence of at least one item in the set of radio frequency ID enabled items is detected by detecting radio frequency identification; and

notifying, in response to the determining if the presence of the at least one item in the of radio frequency ID enabled items is detected, a user of a presence status associated with the at least one item.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the set of radio frequency IDs to at least one of the radio frequency ID reader and a wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the identifier representing the user activity to at least one the radio frequency ID reader and a wireless communication device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the notifying further includes:

displaying the presence status associated with the at least one item via a graphical user interface on the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the notifying further includes:

emitting audio from at least one of the radio frequency ID reader and the wireless communication device, wherein the audio represents the presence status associated with the at least one item.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the notifying further includes:

wirelessly sending the presence status associated with the at least one item to a wireless device associated with the user, wherein the presence status is displayed to the user via a graphical user interface on the wireless device.

8. A wireless communication device for monitoring radio-frequency identification enabled items, the wireless communication device comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

a radio frequency ID monitoring module communicatively coupled to the memory and the processor, wherein the radio frequency ID monitoring module is for;

receiving a set of radio frequency IDs representing a set of radio frequency ID enabled items to be monitored;

receiving an identifier representing a user activity and its relationship with at least one radio frequency ID in the set of radio frequency IDs and at least one radio frequency ID reader;

determining if at least one condition associated with the user activity has occurred indicating that the user activity is occurring; and

monitoring, in response to the determining that the at least one condition is occurring, for the set of radio frequency IDs representing a set of radio frequency ID enabled items to be monitored by the at least one radio frequency ID reader.

9. The wireless communication de of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, in response to the monitoring, if a presence of at least one item in the set of radio frequency ID enabled items is detected by detecting radio frequency identification; and

notifying, in response to the determining if the presence of the at least one item in the of radio frequency ID enabled items is detected, a user of a presence status associated with the at least one item.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 8, further comprising:

sending the set of radio frequency IDs to at least one of the radio frequency ID reader and a wireless communication device.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 8, further comprising:

sending the identifier representing the user activity to at least one the radio frequency ID reader and a wireless communication device.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the notifying further includes:

displaying the presence status associated with the at least one item via a graphical user interface on the electronic device.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the notifying further includes:

emitting audio from at least one of the radio frequency ID reader and the wireless communication device, wherein the audio represents the presence status associated with the at least one item.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the notifying further includes:

displaying the presence status is to the user via a graphical user interface.

15. A radio frequency ID reader for monitoring radio-frequency identification enabled items, the radio frequency ID reader comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

a radio frequency ID monitoring module communicatively coupled to the memory and the processor, wherein the radio frequency ID monitoring module is for;

receiving a set of radio frequency IDs representing a set of radio frequency ID enabled items to be monitored;

receiving an identifier representing a user activity and its relationship with at least one radio frequency ID in the set of radio frequency IDs and at least one radio frequency ID reader;

determining if at least one condition associated with the user activity has occurred indicating that the user activity is occurring; and

monitoring, in response to the determining that the at least one condition is occurring, for the set of radio frequency IDs representing a set of radio frequency ID enabled items to be monitored by the at least one radio frequency ID reader.

16. The radio frequency ID reader of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, in response to the monitoring, if a presence of at least one item in the set of radio frequency ID enabled items is detected by detecting radio frequency identification; and

notifying, in response to the determining if the presence of the at least one item in the of radio frequency ID enabled items is detected, a user of a presence status associated with the at least one item.

17. The radio frequency ID reader of claim 15, further comprising:

sending the set of radio frequency IDs to at least one of the radio frequency ID reader and a wireless communication device.

18. The radio frequency ID reader of claim 15, further comprising:

sending the identifier representing the user activity to at least one the radio frequency ID reader and a wireless communication device.

19. The radio frequency ID reader of claim 16, wherein the notifying further includes:

displaying the presence status associated with the at least one item via a graphical user interface on the electronic device.

20. The radio frequency ID reader of claim 16, wherein the notifying further includes:

wirelessly sending the presence status associated with the at least one item to a wireless device associated with the user, wherein the presence status is displayed to the user via a graphical user interface on the wireless device.